The Awfulness of Love and Violets
by heygaston2
Summary: Logan deals with Rogue's first love--and the ensuing heartbreak. Set before the series starts.


Disclaimer: Marvel et al own, not I. Title and headings are copied with love from Vladimir Nabakov's _Lolita_. (Seriously, go read it!)

A/N: Written for the Off-Season Fic-Off at andthexmen over at LJ****. Assume this is taking some place during Rogue's adolescent years (13-15).

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**Are you still dancin', darlin'? (Both in worn levis, both in torn T-Shirts, and I, in my corner, snarlin').**

"Will there be anything else?" the waitress asked, clearing away the empty milkshakes.

Logan swerved his head, keeping his eye on the couple dancing in front of the juke box. "No, that's all."

The waitress sauntered off, giving him a clear view of Rogue and some buffoon. Stupid kid asked her to dance and how could Logan tell him to clear off when Rogue's eyes dazzled like that; it wasn't often boys asked Rogue to do anything.

Rogue's laughter filled diner as the boy dipped her low and Logan resisted the urge to claw the idiot. He kept a steady eye on the boy's hands, making sure they never traveled any lower than appropriate. Of course, the idiot was nothing more than a gentleman, giving him no reason to pull Rogue away.

It wasn't his fault, he reasoned, that he was so protective over Rogue. He saw a little bit of him in her and he never wanted that to grow. _Keep her innocent_, that was his mantra, followed closely by, _Gut anyone that hurts her_.

The boy twirled her one last time as the song came to an end. He leaned in close, whispering in her ear. Rogue giggled again, pulling away from the boy. She leant over a table, writing something down on a napkin; she handed him the napkin with a coy smile.

She returned to their table, an extra sway in her hips that both Logan and the boy both noticed. "Sorry 'bout leaving you, hon."

"Not a problem," he said, watching her sit. A slight blush heated her cheeks and her voice was a bit breathy. "So what's his name?"

"Freddie and he's from California, he's working with his grandpa for the summer," she said, a faraway look in her eye. "He wants to take me out Friday night, to see a movie."

"Good for you kid," he said, hiding his displeasure. He tossed a few bills on the table and turned to her, "Now let's get out of here, kid."

**And again I hear you crying**

He peeled off his bloody undershirt, tossing it in the growing pile of blood-spattered clothing. He rubbed at his shoulder blade, still sore from the poison dart that hit him earlier that night.

"I'll kill that sonof—"

A knock interrupted his ranting. "Who is it?"

"Logan," a voice trembled from behind the door, "it's me."

He opened the door to a sniffling Rogue, her eyes red and smelling of salt and despair. She looked up at him, a cynical smile on her lips. "He broke up with me."

He pulled her into the room, sitting her down on the bed. He grabbed a dusty box of tissues from his desk and handed them to her. "Why'd the rat bastard do that?"

"Said," she took a deep breath, holding back another round of tears, "that he could never date a mutant like me."

The growl escaped him before he had a chance to stifle it. "I'll kill him."

She laughed, hollow and jaded. "No need to, I punched him."

"You get him good?" The Professor would frown at the surge of pride he felt at that statement, but the Professor wasn't here dealing with a crying teenager.

"His head hit the wall and I think I heard his cheekbone crack."

He slipped into a clean shirt and sat down next to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "Good for you, kid."

"You know what he said, before I told him I was a mutant?" she asked, leaning her head on his shoulder.

He didn't answer, only rubbed her arm in comfort.

"That I wasn't like the girls back home and he wanted us to stay together, even after he left," she said before a set of sobs wracked her body.

He held her for a half hour, rocking her silently and whispering useless words of comfort. Finally the hiccups stopped and she could form a coherent sentence again. "Look at me, crying like some fool." She stood up. "Sorry for bothering you, I know you couldn't care about my hopeless love life."

He captured her wrist, turning her around to look her in the eyes. "Don't you ever think I don't care about you."

**And the rest is rust and stardust.**


End file.
